Optical Illusion of The Day: Desert River That Looks Like Tree

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:02 PM PDT

Here’s an extraordinary shot taken by Adriana Franco, and chosen as one of the best submissions to National Geographic’s “My Shot” online community back in December 2011. What is so amazing about this photograph is that it shows a river in a desert in Baja California, Mexico. Have you by any chance mistaken it for a tree at first? You’re not alone!

This image has a wonderful texture that is almost surreal. At first glance, it’s hard to even distinguish what the subject of this photo is—is it snow? Some kind of microscopic leaf or moss? It’s just downright stunning as a desert aerial.” — Janna Dotschkal, NG photo editor